(HBO) – The Thung Rech area in Tu Son commune of Kim Boi district has seven hamlets, five of which are home to people who moved here to give land to the construction of the Da River reservoir in the 1990s. When they began settling down here, population in the area was scattered. They have built houses and farmed crops, turning this desolate land into fertile and vast sugar cane and maize fields.
Quach
Cong Tien, a resident in Kim Bac 2 (left), attends to Canh orange trees in his
orchard that covers more than 3ha of land.
It is difficult to list all difficulties and
hardships local residents have faced as well as their efforts to transform the
whole Thung Rech area into a luxuriant and fertile land. People have shifted
from farming the traditional crops of sugar cane and maize to cultivating
citrus trees. Many families have planted orange, tangerine, grapefruit and
longan trees, thus improving economic benefits and income. With their new ways
of thinking, some pioneers have developed new farming models, helping to give a
facelift to the local economy.
Ly Thi Kim, a resident in Kim Bac 4 hamlet, has
three orange gardens with more than 1,000 trees planted three years ago. She is
also farming maize, harvesting about 20 – 30 tonnes of corn each crop.
Meanwhile, the family of Quach Cong Tien in Kim
Bac 2 hamlet, a member of the Muong Dong Cooperative, has invested in a farm
covering more than 3ha of land to cultivate citrus trees. Tien said economic
benefits from sugar cane and maize farming is decreasing. If 100kg of maize
seeds could generate 200 million VND in the past, the revenue has fallen down
to around 50 million VND at present. The sale of sugar cane is also no longer
stable like it was in the past when sugar cane was sold to sugar factories.
Therefore, his family decided to invest in fruit tree cultivation. His entire
farm is now under Canh orange and Tan Lac red grapefruit trees which have borne
fruit. Since settling down here, the life of local people has become stable
with positive changes.
In spite of natural advantages such as
favourable climate and fertile soil, residents in the Thung Rech area still
face numerous difficulties. While the main road linking hamlets has been
concreted, most of other roads traversing hamlets and fields are made of earth and
being degraded, affecting travel and transport of farm produce. A water supply
system built in the area has also broken down, forcing locals to use water from
wells and springs for daily and farming activities. Due to the low per capita
income of about 10 – 13 million VND per year, the number of poor households
remains high such as 27 of the 41 households in Kim Bac 2 hamlet, or 16 of the
31 households in Kim Bac 4 hamlet. The life has been stable, but how to have
sustainably productive livelihoods is still a concern for local residents.
With just over a month left until the school summer break, students are eagerly anticipating a period of rest and fun after a year of academic pressure. To provide a healthy environment for the physical development, in addition to the classes that foster talents and enhance the academic knowledge, sports and physical activities continue to attract a large number of children and teenagers.
On April 17th, Hoa Binh Provincial Museum organized a program to promote and introduce the outstanding values of "Hoa Binh Culture” at the Boarding Secondary and High School for ethnic minority students in Mai Chau District.
The Hoa Binh College of Technical Technology, in collaboration with the Hoa Binh Technical and Economic College and the provincial Association of Literature and Arts, hosted a gathering on April 15 to celebrate Laos’ traditional Bunpimay (New Year) Festival 2025 and debut the new book "Nguoi Muong o ban Don” (Muong people in Don village).
In the millennia-long history of national construction and safeguarding, people of all ethnic groups in Hoa Binh have been united and closely bound together to overcome all difficulties and challenges, standing alongside the entire Vietnamese people throughout the history of building and defending the country.
Living green is a healthy, positive, and sustainable lifestyle that not only helps protect
the environment and quality of life but also conserves natural resources and ecosystems.
Among the many ways to embrace this lifestyle, reducing plastic consumption is one of the most impactful.
The women's unions at all levels in Kim Boi district have been making significant contributions to the movement of building cultural life in the local community.
The movement helps improve rural look and the spiritual and material lives of local residents.
